1972 Chevrolet Impala | Throwback Thursday

There’s something to be said about living in the “scene.” You see the latest trends, recognize the faces behind the work and adapt to what’s hot on the streets. At the forefront of this movement is Evan “Evo” Yates, who has been living, breathing and documenting the scene since his initiation into RIDES in 2006. After witnessing the ups and downs, mixed with a creativity and prodigality that could make your head spin, Evo set out to build a head turner—and this ’72 Impala makes you work for that gasp of air.

“I just wanted a car that could be respect­ed by everyone,” Evo states honestly. He continues, “I didn’t build this car to be different or to shut down the game.” This initial realization made the build difficult to a degree that doesn’t appear initially. After searching some nine months for the perfect, rust-free specimen, Evo settled on this Tennessee-bred ’72 that had only 53,000 miles on the clock.

Sticking to the fine line of custom work infused with class, he picked a mix of a factory coat and a unique blend. “I chose a Lexus color, and my painter, Quay, added a custom mix to it,” Evo explains. “I respect people who do candy and spinners, but that’s just not me.”

To get to the level where everyone respects your build, it takes a lot more work underneath the surface. Engine dressing alone separates this ’72 from the degradation of some lesser examples, which is why Nashville old-school aficionado Sandman offered to overhaul the passive Imp’s engine bay (see the step-by-step process on page 20). “People just don’t go to the lengths he did,” says Evo. “He treated it like it was his own.”

To modernize the music and make sure the notes hit just as hard as the 402 big block, House of Bass in Nashville was called to tune this fine automobile. “They are the car audio spot in Nashville,” Evo declares with conviction. “Not only did they have my trunk looking good, but it beats like crazy!”

And last but not least, the first set of 26-inch Forgiato Linees in the world were wrapped in Toyo Proxes by Brian’s Motorsports, and thrown on the ’72 for their ability to further push the subdued-stature initiative. With everything in place and the Impala at exactly the right modification-to-ratification ratio, Evo puts it bluntly, “I am done! I wanted to build a respectable car that I could cruise around in with my son—that’s it.”